Warderick Wells is home of the Park Headquarters, we managed to secure a mooring in the serpentine shaped deep water channel that runs between Warderick Wells and Narrow Water Cay. We nestled in amongst the sailboats and enjoyed exploring via dingy and the Hobie sail-yak. Snorkeling brought us nose to nose with spiny lobster, graceful rays, crawling conch and endless tropical fish in all their Technicolor finery. Sailing found us in the company of graceful manta rays who didn’t appear to appreciate our mode of transportation; it always surprises me that we see so many large (3’) rays in very shallow water (2-3’.)
A dingy ride brought us to a cut between Hog Cay and the SE end of Warderick Wells; there are moorings in the cut, but with our draft if would be a rocky challenge to get our boat safely to them. A walk along “Escape” beach brought us to a short hill to climb and a magnificent view of the Exuma Sound / Atlantic Ocean on the distant horizon. The Sound-side coastline is constantly awash by the waves and it’s jagged coral edges are accented by the sun glistening off the constantly changing sea.
We spied a small tunnel at Escape Beach that went from the placid inside bay to the Sound-Ocean….and waded around the shoreline where the sea has carved car size concave scoops in the coral that provided sea-life condos for wonderful whelks, mollusks, stromatolites and sea creatures I am wont to describe. Photos do not begin to capture the magnificence or the variety of sea life that is flourishing; thankfully, because of the Park, man will not molest it.
This morning we hiked to the top of Boo Boo Hill, the famous cairn where we placed a placard with our ship’s name on it among the hundreds of other wood planks that commemorate the travels of so many others to this magical place. The hike brought us up close and personal with land crabs dragging their 3” shell homes about with them as the scurry about, little lizards with curly tails, a yellow finch and countless other delights.
While on the mooring we were delighted by the frequent visit of a yellow Warbler (more definite ID to follow) the little fellow made himself at home and partook of the crushed granola, and water offered, but his favorite was Goon Bay Punch and brownies! We so enjoyed his frequent visits to the galley for additional treats, although I fear that we were not necessarily contributing to his overall well-being. He reminded me of the little Yellow Rumped Warbler that hitchhiked with us as we crossed the Delaware Bay.
About your gregarious friend: The nectarivorous Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) is a species of passerine bird allied to the tanager family, but classified as incertae sedis by authorities such as the American Ornithologists' Union; some, like Sibley, place in its own family, Coerebidae. It sometimes shows up in Florida. We commonly saw them in the VI's. Bars would place martini glasses with sugar water on the counter to attract them. They became very tame. I have a photo of my hand holding melon with several of them standing on my hand and arm enjoying a meal.
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